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Jan 29, 2010
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the life of medicare. medicare is going into bankruptcy, but it would extend the life of it. that's an honest and correct score. the congressional budget office utilizes what it calls the unified budget. they scored the whole budget as to how it comes out, and the amount of money is increased to the government through medicare, and they score that as a gain, and then since the health care bill didn't take effect until -- benefits of it until four to five years later, that over ten years it would create a surplus of $132 billion. sound good? well, but i read the small print of the c.b.o. letter and the small print of the medicare letter, and the medicare man hold us, the chief actuary, that if you raise taxes and you cut spending in medicare, it will extend the life of medicare. we had a parenthetical line in there. he said, of course, you can't simultaneously use the medicare savings to fund a new program and claim it does both. you would be spending the money twice. how logical is that, but that's what th
the life of medicare. medicare is going into bankruptcy, but it would extend the life of it. that's an honest and correct score. the congressional budget office utilizes what it calls the unified budget. they scored the whole budget as to how it comes out, and the amount of money is increased to the government through medicare, and they score that as a gain, and then since the health care bill didn't take effect until -- benefits of it until four to five years later, that over ten years it...
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Jan 5, 2010
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almost all of our pay comes from medicaid and medicare. and so we are dependent on the public payers, what they pay is what we get. that's not the way traditional supply and demand works. we are in a very different world than a lot of the other parts of the health sector. secondly, our framework argues that we have to recognize long-term care work force as a distinct, but related part of the health sector. because every time we work on health care reform, health care work force reform, the eye goes toward hospital and ambulatory and primary work force, the long-term work force for the most part has been an afterthought and we have to and we're beginning to see this with the elder care work force alliance, but specific attention needs to be paid to this long-term work force if we are going to develop this over the next 20 years, particularly with the aging of the baby boomers, where we're really going to see some significant more demand in the future. the third is we have to be responding to new philosophies and models of care. we cannot do
almost all of our pay comes from medicaid and medicare. and so we are dependent on the public payers, what they pay is what we get. that's not the way traditional supply and demand works. we are in a very different world than a lot of the other parts of the health sector. secondly, our framework argues that we have to recognize long-term care work force as a distinct, but related part of the health sector. because every time we work on health care reform, health care work force reform, the eye...
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Jan 21, 2010
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the trustees of medicare say that medicare will go broke in eight years. social security will take somewhat longer. but both are on a path to insolvency if we fail to act. mr. president, it hasn't just been from the more liberal side of the spectrum that the criticism has come. also on the right. "the wall street journal," ran this editorial calling the debt reduction commission or the deficit commission a trap. they say it is a trap that will lead to higher taxes, to more revenue. so on the left and the right we have those complaining that if you move forward to deal with the debt, you're going to make reductions in programs and you're goi i think that's undeniably the case. if you're going to deal with this debt threat, we are going to have to make changes in the spending prowewewewewe are goine changes in the revenue base of the country. i would suggest for those who are concerned about tax increases, the first place to get more revenue is not with the tax increase. the first place to get more revenue is to collect what's actually owed. if you examine t
the trustees of medicare say that medicare will go broke in eight years. social security will take somewhat longer. but both are on a path to insolvency if we fail to act. mr. president, it hasn't just been from the more liberal side of the spectrum that the criticism has come. also on the right. "the wall street journal," ran this editorial calling the debt reduction commission or the deficit commission a trap. they say it is a trap that will lead to higher taxes, to more revenue. so...
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Jan 20, 2010
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the current health care system has led to skyrocketing costs in medicare and medicaid. to recuse those -- reduce those costs for the long run, we need to pass comprehensive health care reform. that's the first step to get the excessive deficits under control, and that's exactly what we're doing. in late december, the senate passed health care reform, and according to the nonpartisan congressional budget office, our health care reform bill reduced federal deficits by $132 billion in the first ten years. that is -- let me say it again. according to the c.b.o., this health care legislation will reduce federal deficits by by $132 billion in the first ten years. not increase, but reduce. that helps. the bill would reduce federal deficits by $650 billion to to $1.3 trillion the second ten years. that is, the second ten years, there is a much greater reduction in deficit spending, according to the nonpartisan congressional budget office, a reduction between $650 billion to $1.3 trillion reduction in federal deficits in the second ten years. and this deficit reduction is likely
the current health care system has led to skyrocketing costs in medicare and medicaid. to recuse those -- reduce those costs for the long run, we need to pass comprehensive health care reform. that's the first step to get the excessive deficits under control, and that's exactly what we're doing. in late december, the senate passed health care reform, and according to the nonpartisan congressional budget office, our health care reform bill reduced federal deficits by $132 billion in the first...
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Jan 26, 2010
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medicare did until just last few years. those surpluses are being spent in our discretionary account. so, really, these programs have little to do with our record deficits. it's discretionary spending up until recently that's driven the entirety of our debt. deficits, for the most part, come from discretionary spending. mr. president, so this statutory idea that i've proposed is tested and proven. the budget enforcement act of 1990, including very similar provisions that kept the growth of the federal spending low for 12 years. its provisions were extended in 1997 because people found that it was working. the congress felt that it was working. all in all these budget rules helped to achieve four balanced budgets for four consecutive years from 1998 to 2001. and the key component of that, i truly believe, was the statutory caps on spending that were passed during that opinion. many current serving senators were in this chamber in the 1990's, and recognized the necessity. in 1997, 28 currently serving democrats, for example,
medicare did until just last few years. those surpluses are being spent in our discretionary account. so, really, these programs have little to do with our record deficits. it's discretionary spending up until recently that's driven the entirety of our debt. deficits, for the most part, come from discretionary spending. mr. president, so this statutory idea that i've proposed is tested and proven. the budget enforcement act of 1990, including very similar provisions that kept the growth of the...
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Jan 26, 2010
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the same is true of medicare. medicare is cash negative today, and the trustees tell us it will be bankrupt in 2017. eight years -- seven years now from today. mr. president, let me just conclude by saying we've heard over and over people come to the floor and say we know we've got a problem. how do we deal with it? i would suggest to my colleagues, trying what we've been doing is a proven failure. it is time for something different. it is time for an attempt that brings both sides together, republicans and democrats, with an assurance that the recommendations of the commission come to a vote to face up to this debt threat. mr. president and colleagues, make no mistake, this country confronts one of the greatest economic challenges in our nation's history. the question before us today is do we have the courage to stand up to it? and i know groups on the right and the left are right now calling our colleagues, asking them to vote "no." groups on the right saying, well, this could lead to more revenue. groups on the
the same is true of medicare. medicare is cash negative today, and the trustees tell us it will be bankrupt in 2017. eight years -- seven years now from today. mr. president, let me just conclude by saying we've heard over and over people come to the floor and say we know we've got a problem. how do we deal with it? i would suggest to my colleagues, trying what we've been doing is a proven failure. it is time for something different. it is time for an attempt that brings both sides together,...
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Jan 20, 2010
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the clerk: h.r. 3961, an act to amend title 18 of the social security act to reform the medicare s.g.r. payment system for physicians and for other purposes. h.r. 4154, an act to amend the internal revenue code of 1986 to repeal the new carrier overbasis rules in order to prevent tax increases, and so forth and for other purposes. mr. reid: mr. president, i would object to further proceedings in respect to these two bills. the presiding officer: objection having been heard, the bills will be placed on the calendar. mr. reid: mr. president, visiting with nevadans as i have done during these past several weeks, it's impossible not to be motivated to get back to the business of legislating. it's impossible to ignore their grief over growing foreclosures, the uncertainty of unemployment, and the frustration of fighting insurance companies for your family's health, and it's just as evident that the people of nevada and the nation need us to work toward sensible solutions rather than drown once again in the partisan bickering that consumed much of last year. some elections go your way. some
the clerk: h.r. 3961, an act to amend title 18 of the social security act to reform the medicare s.g.r. payment system for physicians and for other purposes. h.r. 4154, an act to amend the internal revenue code of 1986 to repeal the new carrier overbasis rules in order to prevent tax increases, and so forth and for other purposes. mr. reid: mr. president, i would object to further proceedings in respect to these two bills. the presiding officer: objection having been heard, the bills will be...
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Jan 25, 2010
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does that cut medicare? then on the other side you've got folks that say, does that mean you worry about raising taxes? and those are legitimate concerns. every one of us -- everyone, every family member in america has to deal with this, these kinds of questions in their own family's budget. when we spend more than we bring in, we have to make choices. we have to make adjustments. it's the responsible thing to do. and be it won't be easy. it won't be easy politically, especially with people holding that club of the next election over their heads and say i'm going to beat you into the ground and beat you politically to death if you make these tough choices. but in the end, i trust that the understanding of the american people about their government, the understanding of their own family budgets that they will trust a group of bipartisan lawmakers accountable to the american people who have examined the budget, hashed out their differences and agreed to a plan. that plan will make us solvent again. and without
does that cut medicare? then on the other side you've got folks that say, does that mean you worry about raising taxes? and those are legitimate concerns. every one of us -- everyone, every family member in america has to deal with this, these kinds of questions in their own family's budget. when we spend more than we bring in, we have to make choices. we have to make adjustments. it's the responsible thing to do. and be it won't be easy. it won't be easy politically, especially with people...
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Jan 21, 2010
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it's a big roll of the dice for social security and medicare. millions of american seniors rely on social security. social security is a commitment to america's seniors. i might say if we did not have social security, estimates i have seen are about half of american seniors today would be living in poverty. social security basically has kept a lot of americans, senior americans from living in poverty. we should therefore prevent a fast track process from reneging on social security's commitment to those people and putting a lot of people back in poor economic straits. numerous groups representing seniors are called for excluding social security from this fast track process. aarp for one recommends that social security be excluded from the commission's deliberations. this is what aarp says -- "we urge that social security not be considered in the context of debt reduction. this program does not contribute to the annual deficit and its long-term solvency can be resolved by relatively modest adjustments if they are made sooner rather than later." q
it's a big roll of the dice for social security and medicare. millions of american seniors rely on social security. social security is a commitment to america's seniors. i might say if we did not have social security, estimates i have seen are about half of american seniors today would be living in poverty. social security basically has kept a lot of americans, senior americans from living in poverty. we should therefore prevent a fast track process from reneging on social security's commitment...
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Jan 12, 2010
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you're cutting half a trillion dollars out of medicare. girls are going to be taxing people at a time that they just can't afford it. we can do better. we elected the drawing board and i don't think it's going to take 15 years, not on my watch. i will make it a priority to make sure we have coverage that they can rely on and have the flexibility to be part of. not a one-size-fits-all for the entire country at the really hurting states and their individual right to free market and free enterprise. >> i'm going to tune to you ms. coakley. all of you have talked to the economy and voters in this commonwealth of course but jobs right at the top of their list here at everyone is worried about 10% unemployment nationwide. but it's also true that this terrible economic situation workers find themselves in really comes at the end of a lost decade for american workers. there has been nationwide no net job growth since december 1999 and middle-class families when adjusted for inflation have not seen their incomes rise. what are your plans on only sh
you're cutting half a trillion dollars out of medicare. girls are going to be taxing people at a time that they just can't afford it. we can do better. we elected the drawing board and i don't think it's going to take 15 years, not on my watch. i will make it a priority to make sure we have coverage that they can rely on and have the flexibility to be part of. not a one-size-fits-all for the entire country at the really hurting states and their individual right to free market and free...
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Jan 22, 2010
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in contrast, when george bush and his republican allies in congress designed a medicare prescription drug benefit, they did so without offsetting at all the hundreds of billions of dollars in new spending. indeed, they even larded it up with special deals for the pharmaceutical industry. in other words, the republicans relied entirely on deficit spending to fund a huge new entitlement program. that was the way they actually did business. the republicans lethe republicay on deficit spending to fund a new entitlement program. that is the fact. now republicans inaccurately -- and frankly hypocritically -- rail on budgetary grounds against our efforts to extend health care coverage. but unlike their costly prescription drug bill, our health care bill improves our budget baseline. the baseline we inherited from president bush desperately needs improvement. this next chart shows the deterioration of annual deficits under the previous administration. the facts are plain. george bush vastly increased spending while cutting tax revenues. the structural deficit that he built in and left to pre
in contrast, when george bush and his republican allies in congress designed a medicare prescription drug benefit, they did so without offsetting at all the hundreds of billions of dollars in new spending. indeed, they even larded it up with special deals for the pharmaceutical industry. in other words, the republicans relied entirely on deficit spending to fund a huge new entitlement program. that was the way they actually did business. the republicans lethe republicay on deficit spending to...
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Jan 28, 2010
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and social security and it's crowding out our ability to fund medicare and social security t.'s a threat to those programs as well as the long-term fiscal status of our country. finally, i would just point out, madam president, that i just left a budget committee hearing, and mr. elmendorf, the c.b.o. director, testified this number today and indicated to us that if several more things that probably are likely to occur, occur -- which he did not use in his calculations the number here would be much worse, much higher. he says we are facing a critical economically threatening force of debt that we have got to do better about. and so did chairman conrad and so did ranking member gregg in their opening statements. i would point out that he reaffirmed their score that under the present path we are on, we now pay in 2009, $170 billion per year in interest. that's what we pay on people who loaned us money. the public debt. by 2019, ten years, that debt will triple from $5.7 trillion to over $17 trillion. and the interest we pay in one year on that debt is $799 billion. and when you t
and social security and it's crowding out our ability to fund medicare and social security t.'s a threat to those programs as well as the long-term fiscal status of our country. finally, i would just point out, madam president, that i just left a budget committee hearing, and mr. elmendorf, the c.b.o. director, testified this number today and indicated to us that if several more things that probably are likely to occur, occur -- which he did not use in his calculations the number here would be...
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Jan 6, 2010
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and so social security, food stamps, and medicare are examples of those more federal uniform policies. if a program or policy is he developed at a time when there is a major goal to reduce the role of the federal government or the size of the federal government, which was true in the 1980's, the goal is to devolve decision-making and administration from the federal level down to lower levels. and then you wind up getting policies like the current welfare system, the temporary assistance for needy families, and workforce development. if on the other hand, program or policies being developed by congress at the national level at a time when there's distrust of state and local government, but more trust in the federal government, perhaps like in the 60's during the war on poverty, then you may see more federal control of programs, but devolution down to the local level. community action agencies, public health centers are examples of those. the depending on when a policy or program is enacted in congress, the philosophies, the values that are dominant at that particular time heavily influ
and so social security, food stamps, and medicare are examples of those more federal uniform policies. if a program or policy is he developed at a time when there is a major goal to reduce the role of the federal government or the size of the federal government, which was true in the 1980's, the goal is to devolve decision-making and administration from the federal level down to lower levels. and then you wind up getting policies like the current welfare system, the temporary assistance for...
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Jan 28, 2010
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group of americans called the baby boomers are going to retire, and the cost of social security and medicare is going to skyrocket. these are promises we have to keep to seniors because they pay for it, but we have no idea of how we're going to keep those promises to seniors right now, particularly in light of the current economic situation. as we look at where we are, we need to recognize how we got there. and as i've talked to banks, businesses, foreign financial ministers from europe who have come here, everyone agrees that there are two major causes of the economic problems here and around the world. and one is the high leverage or the high borrowing that went on because of the loose monetary policy at the federal reserve. easy money, cheap money encouraged companies and individuals to borrow more than they could afford to pay back because it was easy to get and cheap. the big banks on wall street could more easily borrow money than to raise capital. those were incentives created by the policies at the federal reserve. the second problem is what we are calling toxic assets, which are sec
group of americans called the baby boomers are going to retire, and the cost of social security and medicare is going to skyrocket. these are promises we have to keep to seniors because they pay for it, but we have no idea of how we're going to keep those promises to seniors right now, particularly in light of the current economic situation. as we look at where we are, we need to recognize how we got there. and as i've talked to banks, businesses, foreign financial ministers from europe who...
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Jan 27, 2010
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so what i consider to be the key issue, given that the government has exposure to medicaid, medicare, and other costs and is finding ways over perhaps not even elite but over a number of years to bring down the cost per person health care. i have not read the cbo study. i know enough to know that health care economists have differed quite a bit about implications of different proposals and different measures. so i'm not going to weigh in with a number. i don't have a good number to give you. only to repeat what i've said before, which is as part of this process, it's very, very important that we do our best, not to reduce the quality of care or reduce coverage or to make health care worse here this is a very inefficient system and there must be ways to reduce the cost of delivering that health care, and there have been many ideas suggested, ranging from information technology, to various incentive payments, to experimental or evidence-based medicine. i just want to reiterate that because it is critical that we get a stable and sustainable fiscal trajectory going forward, we do need to
so what i consider to be the key issue, given that the government has exposure to medicaid, medicare, and other costs and is finding ways over perhaps not even elite but over a number of years to bring down the cost per person health care. i have not read the cbo study. i know enough to know that health care economists have differed quite a bit about implications of different proposals and different measures. so i'm not going to weigh in with a number. i don't have a good number to give you....
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Jan 15, 2010
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if there had been a distinction made because of the volume of potential medicare recipients or poverty level or something involving health care in nebraska that was different, then that would be a different story on the constitutionality. that's why many states in national legislation are not all treated the same, because there are distinctions, and a lot of times, there's a lot of horse trading that goes on there, as we all know. but there's always a reason given. well, there's no reason given here, except for the one that i've recited and that is one that we see as unconstitutional, and is likely seen by many as a symbol of the excesses of a culture of corruption and excessive spending and fiscal irresponsibility in the congress. now that is not addressed in this letter. what this letter addresses is simply the constitutionality of that one provision. now, after we wrote the letter, the next day, which was thursday, december 31, i received a telephone call from senator graham, saying that he had received a telephone call from senator ben nelson, asking to call the dogs off. and sen
if there had been a distinction made because of the volume of potential medicare recipients or poverty level or something involving health care in nebraska that was different, then that would be a different story on the constitutionality. that's why many states in national legislation are not all treated the same, because there are distinctions, and a lot of times, there's a lot of horse trading that goes on there, as we all know. but there's always a reason given. well, there's no reason given...
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Jan 29, 2010
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. >> but just look backward for medicare. [laughter] >> just for you, just for you. look, i think there was a moment in time where disney stock was $20 a share. because i ultimately i am a finance major. i start a little bit from the business perspective. obviously you have to love the strategic perspective. espn has been a terrific business. business channel, then done incredible things. family channel was once a really bad deal. now looks like a great channel. disney is firing wonderfully. we were right after 2001 theme park attendance was at a low. there was a shareholder revolt going on. there was the founding family say we want change. there was a vote coming up, and somehow, right or wrong, there was discussion between parties involved with both companies on a back channel basis that said, maybe now that you've done a at&t, you'd like to come in and put our two companies together. we openly throughout that idea. they said no thank you. and pretty quickly we said, we are not in the business to go in and completely disrupt and over pay and stock today's 30, up fr
. >> but just look backward for medicare. [laughter] >> just for you, just for you. look, i think there was a moment in time where disney stock was $20 a share. because i ultimately i am a finance major. i start a little bit from the business perspective. obviously you have to love the strategic perspective. espn has been a terrific business. business channel, then done incredible things. family channel was once a really bad deal. now looks like a great channel. disney is firing...
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Jan 8, 2010
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coupled with, an incredibly enormous price tag, and a great deal of uncertainty. 500 billion in medicare cuts. over 100 some taxes americans for tax reform group estimates. new regulations. penalties. people are actually looking into the health care reform legislation is constitutional. if it doesn't violate proscription against excessive fines and punishment you can go to jail or pay a huge find for not having this kind of a program. all of these are very legitimate concerns people are -- security taken to their members, security and affordability. people talk about security. it is also national security. it can be national security and health security and security of certainty. affordability, that can be taxes debt, deficits, could be housing, college tuition. could be just basic cost of living and quality of life. that could be entrepreneurship. kitchen table economics. wall street, main street. all has to do with affordability. what we're hearing for voters going into 2010. much has been talked about with respect to new democratic retirements and ones that i think are imminent as wel
coupled with, an incredibly enormous price tag, and a great deal of uncertainty. 500 billion in medicare cuts. over 100 some taxes americans for tax reform group estimates. new regulations. penalties. people are actually looking into the health care reform legislation is constitutional. if it doesn't violate proscription against excessive fines and punishment you can go to jail or pay a huge find for not having this kind of a program. all of these are very legitimate concerns people are --...
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Jan 25, 2010
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father of four beautiful girls, who genuinely feels there will be no social security for him, that medicare may not be there either, and he understands that the global competition facing his generation and his daughters' generation is greater than at any other time in our nation's history. the global competition is greater than at any other time in this nation's history, and that the burden that we have created because of our fiscal irresponsibility brings into question whether his children will enjoy the same opportunity for a standard of living that we have had. mr. president, i said in the beginning of my speech i believe the issues this amendment is designed to address, our national debt and deficits as far as the eye can see, can two of the most important issues congress and our nation face. our failure to address these issues will damage our economy, our nation's security, peace in the world, and the kind of future that we leave to our children and grandchildren. mr. president, the future of our nation is in our hands. the future of our nation is in the hands of these 100 senators her
father of four beautiful girls, who genuinely feels there will be no social security for him, that medicare may not be there either, and he understands that the global competition facing his generation and his daughters' generation is greater than at any other time in our nation's history. the global competition is greater than at any other time in this nation's history, and that the burden that we have created because of our fiscal irresponsibility brings into question whether his children...